Wow, today we have a challenging scripture, as many of them are. When I first read it, I was very uneasy hearing about this servant with the least being cast into the outer darkness, but sometimes the toughest scriptures can be the most fruitful. So, we'll do our best to figure it out together. Today we have one of Jesus' many parables, and parables are supposed to be about average real life situations. Because most of us are not working in the fields like the subjects of today's story, let's review what happens for us in a normal average day. How does a day usually start? We're nice and warm in our beds and the alarm goes off. Now, it's time to get up. Why do we do it? Because we should, or maybe even because we have to. Then we get dressed and most of us go to school or to work or care for others at home. Why? Because we should, or maybe even because we have to. We go through the day, do our work; we come home and do chores. Why? Because we should or maybe even because we have to. We follow the rules and we do the right thing. We save our money, stay conservative. We need to prepare for the future. Why? Because we should or maybe we even have to. But in the end, God will reward us for our efforts. We will live long happy lives. And God will raise us up to what we deserve. That's what today's parable says, right? Right? Oh, maybe it doesn't say that. Let me check.
This is what it says about the last servant, “As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Yikes. That's tough. What is Jesus talking about? We could just say that it doesn't apply to us because we aren't farmers in the fields? No, not that easy. We have to figure out how to apply the message from this story to the way we actually live, remembering that this is a parable. Jesus and the early gospel writers often used parables to convey deeper messages. They aren't always what they seem on the surface. Here, Matthew has placed this story in a line of three parables, all addressing the subject of Jesus' death. Jesus is preparing people for a time when he won't be there, and certainly when Matthew was actually writing the parable down, Jesus wasn't there anymore. In fact, by that point, Christians were struggling: they were being persecuted by Jews and Romans alike. They were having trouble keeping the faith, and they couldn't figure out why Jesus would just leave like that, so they speculated that he would be returning soon to set things straight. Keeping that context in mind, we have a master who is leaving his servants in charge of his estate. He's going on a journey and is not sure when he will return. So, here the master represents Jesus and the servants represent us: the people in the church who do God's work until Jesus comes again. Obviously, Jesus didn't return as quickly as early Christians hoped, but the question of what we should be doing as Christians is still relevant.
So, the story continues. The master leaves each servant with a sum of money, broken down into talents. A talent, by the way, was a huge amount of money equivalent to what a day laborer would earn in 20 years! And they each receive a different amount, each according to his ability. That's the important part to remember: that each was given a special amount, a gift, and not more than each could handle. When the master returns, he finds that two of the slaves have invested their gifts and doubled their money, and they are rewarded. Then one has buried his share. That servant returns the money safely but with no increase earned. He also offers it back with excuses and even insults to the master, claiming he was afraid. But the master seems to suspect that he was lazy. He gets the harsh punishment of having his talent taken and thrown into the outer darkness. On the scale of punishments, that sounds a lot worse than a timeout.
This punishment to the outer darkness represents Christ's judgment, and I think it's important for us to think about that for a moment -- even though it's uncomfortable. The Bible is filled with images of Christ judging; for example, separating the wheat from the chaff and the sheep from the goats. I always find myself hoping that we're all saved, we're all sheep! I don't want God to throw anyone away. None of us do, but we still need to look at judgment stories. Jesus and the church have taught about them, so we can find value there. And we don't only have judgment, we have another perspective to balance it. We also see in the Bible that nothing can separate us from the love of God. We know that God has unending mercy and grace. So, it's difficult to reconcile a judging God with a forgiving God, and I think we have to leave it in the gray area. We need both perspectives to provide balance for us. The Bible presents both, so we are never fully certain, because that keeps us seeking in faith, searching for God. It keeps us balanced. Because if we fall on the side of being too certain that God is judging by a particular standard, then we will probably end up judging our neighbor. But if we are so sure that all are saved regardless of their actions in life, then we may be apathetic to serve God. We could feel entitled to think we deserve God's grace even if we are doing nothing. If we were so sure, just like this last servant, we might be arrogant or lazy. The Bible presents these judgment stories to stem this trend of entitlement and apathy. This story shows us the good servants who are active with whatever gifts they have, contrasted with the servant who lazily buried his talent.
Now, I empathize with the guy who buried it. I usually play it quite safe, and don't take a lot of risks. My methods may not make a lot of money, but at least I always know where everything is. In our culture, we often play it safe because it gives us a sense of control. Feeling in control seems to be very important these days. But the question is, how in control are we really? If we feel in control with ourselves, our relationships, even with God, then how is there space for anything new? Where can God bring a miracle into our lives? If we're truly in control, then we are closed off. We certainly don't need faith in a controlled and predictable world. So that really was the sin of the servant who buried the talent. He didn't risk anything! He didn't trust that the master had given him good gifts. He didn't have faith in his own abilities. He could have been afraid or he may have even been selfish and lazy. Whatever his motivation, the point is that he did not live up to his potential. Instead, he squandered his gifts from God. He is the Biblical example of what not to do.
But life also gives us lots of examples of what we should do. The other day I was chatting with a friend who is pregnant with her first child. Mike and I are thrilled for them, and we are happy to be their friends in this new phase of life. As we were talking, the mom-to-be shared that they had just been for the latest ultra-sound and during the exam the baby's heart rate dropped dramatically. The technician reassured them saying the baby probably just rolled over but the doctor would check the results. Well, the doctor came right in, and said he thought they needed to go right down to Children's hospital for a prenatal cardiac echo. Now, it's important to say here that this mom is a social worker in the pediatric cardiac unit of Children's Hospital. Her experience here is not helpful to her because she has sat with the families when their babies are born with heart problems, watched babies fight for their lives, and even hugged parents as they took their baby home to die. All this races through her mind and heart. What if that happens to her baby? Her worst fears realized! The echo showed that everything was normal. But still, the fears kept creeping back. Of course, the cardiac doctors at Children's are her good friends; they offered to do an echo a day if it would make her feel better. As she's telling me all this, she stopped and said, I knew that as much as I wanted to control this, I really can't. This baby is not mine to control.” She saw that this baby is a gift, a talent, given to her by God. She knew the baby was being placed in her care and she would have to risk her own sense of security in order to be its parent. Wow, I knew that I was in the presence of great faith. She and her husband both are people of strong faith. That doesn't mean that they have the perfect faith every day, but it means that they are willing to risk their lives, their hearts, and their sense of control to do what God is calling them to do and to care for what God has given them.
After hearing their story and literally feeling their faith, I was up all night thinking about kids as talents and how much more valuable they are than any amount of money. I thought about each child that we are blessed to have here at Westmoreland, and how they are gifts to us from God. They are so special! And, we must live up to such a gift. Remember: the master gave to each according to his ability. If God has granted us the stewardship of these fantastic children, then God must know we have a wealth of potential for their upbringing. Great gifts, great risk. God is calling us to take big risks for them and make a large investment in them. But is there time, talent, or money better spent than on ministry to children? Their life and fledgling faith are our responsibility, and even better than what we can offer them is the part of God that they bring to this community.
So, I hope I've convinced you that we need to invest in all of our gifts from God, especially our children. But, the question remains, how do we do it? Unfortunately, the parable doesn't really tell us that? God gives us the freedom to take our gifts and use them as we like for the betterment of God's world. But I have a few general ideas and I'm sure you do, too. This is something we have to figure out together. We can pray for the children and youth, we can teach them, listen to them, hold them, and support them. But most of all, we have to love them. And believe me, that's risky. I've tried it. There's no guarantee that they'll love us back. We can't guarantee that they will have faith in God or even that they'll come back to church after their confirmation. But this parable is telling us that we can't focus on the outcome; God will take care of that. We have to focus on the incredible gift that we have in our children. With great gifts comes great risk.
Often children's stories and culture demonstrates these very ideas to us. Great gifts and great risk always makes me think of comic super heroes. I love the stories of Spiderman because he is always struggling with his spider-like talent. If he uses it to help people like a true super-hero, he experiences his own personal losses. He wrestles with whether to use his gift or set it aside; at times, he feels selfish or afraid like the servant in the parable, but he keeps coming back to the phrase, “With great power comes great responsibility.” Spiderman has to take those risks because of the gift he's been given. This parable is saying with great gifts comes great risk, and that risk is one that we have to take for ourselves and our youth.
Parents are the first to understand the great gifts that kids are and the responsibilities in raising them. Parents are probably also the first to understand that, like my friend, you have to risk your own insecurity and sense of control to care for them. But we all understand this because really, you have to risk that in every good relationship and in every true endeavor. Is my relationship with my partner good, if I control it and risk nothing? My career isn't fruitful if I never try anything new. The idea of risking to use your talents and stewardship of your gifts isn't new, but the Bible seems to think we need to hear it again and again. The message of risk in relationship is especially true in our relationship with God. How can we be vulnerable? How can we be open? How can we face the unknown? Can we risk it?
The answer is Yes, we can risk it! And not because we should and maybe even because we have to, as I said earlier, but because we SHOULD and maybe even because we HAVE TO! Great gifts, great risk. And we can because God has already risked everything for us! In creating us, God, our divine parent, risked our rejection and sinfulness in order to gain true relationships with us. God risked distant sovereignty to come in the form of Jesus. As we prepare to celebrate Christmas, we remember that God came to us as a helpless little baby. God risked for us. God even risked his own human life and went to death on a cross for us. God suffered anguish so we would know that we have nothing to fear. Truly the ultimate risk. And after experiencing human pain and death, God rose again conquering all that should ever stop us from risking. Now, we can risk whatever gifts and talents God had given us in this life.
